Foot massaging device



J. A. BROGAN 2,037,495 Q FOOT MAS SAGING DEVICE April 14, 1936.

Filed Dec. 1, 1934 (M M amp g Patented 1125. 14,

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ATE T OFFICE- FOOT IMASSAGINGK DEVICE JamesLBrogamIn cameo Application December 1, m4, No. 755,805

- The present invention relates to foot massaging devices and more particularly to that type thereof in which a massaging roll is rotated in engagement with the plantar surface of the foot.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide foot massaging devices of the roll type, the various devices comprising single rolls or a series .of rolls associated together for this purpose. In one type the roll is supported only by the floor, and moves along it. In other types the roll is supported so as to have a fixed axis of rotation. But whatever these types may be, they have lacked certain features of construction by which the most beneficial massage results may be obtained. Many prior art devices, while moving along the longitudinal arch of the foot,- act on verse direction.

the foot primarily in a trans- Whether the devices have been provided with one roll or with several, attention has been directed upon the transverse kneading of the foot, andthe longitudinal kneading has been disregarded. But this longitudinal kneading is actually a matter of greater importance in correcting foot ailments since the major movements and the flexing of the toes, are eflected by, or cause, bone, muscle, and tendon movements in the direction of the length of the foot, and the reason is that the direction of articulation of the bones of the foot of the foot, such as in walking is largely longitudinal.

Accordin ly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a foot massaging device in the use of which the plantar surface of I longitudinal flutes.

A further construction found in prior art devices is the feature that the axis of rotation and the longitudinal center line of the roll or rolls coincide. Stated in another way, in'thesedevices the uppermost point of the lateral surface of the roll, whether the axis of rotation be fixed or floating, is always the same distance from the floor or supp rt. By reason of this construction the surface of the foot engages a rolling surplantar face that base. constant level. and as a result, with a given amount of pressure, the-heavy bones of the tarsal region of the foot, which should receive increased pressure, receive no more pressure than is received by the metatarsal and phalanges regions. Itisthereforea vcntloni'nprovideafoot i III was obiectof the present in 1 device adapted to subject the heavybones of the tarsal region of the foot to a greater g pressure than the metatarsal and phalanges bones. To the accomplishment of this object, a feature of the present invention contemplates the provision in 5 afoot massaging device of a roll so mounted that the surface portion thereof which engages the foot has a level that constantly varies. Broadly considered, this object may be achieved by the provision of a plain roll mounted so that its axis of rotation is eccentric of its longitudinal center line. It is preferred, however, to combine this eccentric moimting with the longitudinal fluting so that simultaneously with the variance in pressure, the foot may be kneaded and massaged in the direction of the articulation of thebones.

A further construction found in prior art devices is the provision that the foot engaging surface of the roll is curved from one end' of the roll to the other, the purpose being to provide an ap ac proximation to the curvature of the transverse arch-of the foot. Desirable as such a construction is,'it is apparent that a curved surface in a single roll does not provide for a contact point sufficiently narrow to press against the foot locally 8 as compared to the general pressure exerted by the entire roll on the entire plantar surface of the foot.

It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a foot massaging device adapted to subject any particular part of the plantar'surface of the foot to a greater pressure than that to which the remainder of the plantar surface is subjected. To the accomplishment of this object, a feature 'of the present invention contemplates the provision of a roll which is shaped like the frustums of two right circular cones the larger bases of which are merged. Broadly considered, such'a roll might be plain and mi ht also be moimted for rotation along its longitudinal. center line. It is preferred, however. to combine this frusto-conical feature with the longitudinal fluting and/or withthe am tric moimting of the roll, as the benefits the localized obtainable with a frusto- -conical-roll are enhanced by the kneading action longitudinally of the foot and/01' by thevariance in the level of the foot engaging surface of the roll and the consequent variance in pressure result ng therefrom. a

To the accomplishment of these objects and such others as may appear heremafter, the various features of the present invention reside in certain devices, combinations, and 1 of partsfullydescribed 'the fillets l1.

pointed out in their true scope in the appended claims. I

The illustrated embodiment of the present invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawing illustratment with the foot; and

Fig. 3 is a view insectlonal elevation taken along the line 33 of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawingythe illustrated embodiment of the present invention is provided with a; flat base 5 from which are cut and upwardly bent two integral and oppositely disposed arms -6 and 1. The tops of the arms 6 and [are provided with slots '8 and 9, respectively, the bot- .toms of which are semi-circular to form journals for the projecting ends of aligned pins l and II partially embedded in the opposite ends of a roll. l2. To insure that the ends of the roll I! do no rub on the arms 6 and I, the pins Ill and II are preferably provided adjacent. their projecting ends with flanges l3 (Fig. 3) which abut the slotted ends of ,the arms. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the base extends well beyond the ends of the roll I! to provide foot rest portions I l and I5, on one of which, asthecase may be, the user places the foot he is not exercising so as to hold the base firmly against a supporting surface such as a floor.

The roll I2 is preferably solid and has a'vary-' ing diameter which is greatest at the longitudinal center of the roll and decreases in the direction of the opposite ends thereof. Stated in another way, the roll l2 illustrated is shaped like thefrustums of two fightcircular cones the larger bases of which are merged. As a result of this merging, an apex or arris C is/ formed at the center of the roll, (Figs. 1 and 3). As indicatedbest in Fig. 2 the roll i2 is provided circumferentially with longitudinal flutes which are spaced so that fillets I I are provided between successive flutes. As a. matter of construction, the bases l8 of the flutes l6 may be more or less parallel with As a practical matter, however, whenthe roll is made by turning and cutting, as opposed toa molding operation, it is preferred that the bases of the flues I6 bestraightthroughout their length. Such a construction results in the side walls Iii-(Fig. 3) of the'flutes I 6 hav-' ing a height that decreases in the direction of the "opposite ends of the roll.

and thereby cause the rotation of the roll to be eccentric. This feature of construction has an important bearing on the foot massaging operation of the device, as will appear hereinafter.

By reason of the eccentric position ofthepins l 0 and I I, it will be seen that when the pins are journaled in the slots 8 and 9, the center of gravity of the roll, being spaced from the axis of rotation, causes, or tends to cause, the roll to assume in disuse the full line position shown in Fig. 2, i. e., a position in which the greater part of; the roll is located beneath the axisofrotat'ion formedby the pins Iii and H. To facilitate this assumption by the roll l2 of its full line Fig. 2

position, the opposite ends of the r011 I! may be provided with weights and 2| which cause the 7 center of gravity of the roll to be spaced still further from its axis of rotation.

In using the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, the device is positioned with the base 5 resting on the floor. By reason of the eccentric mounting of the roll I 2, it will assume the'position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. The user, if exercising his right foot, places his left foot on' the foot rest portion 14 thereby holding the device firmly in place. The user first engages the fillets l'! with the forward portion of the sole of his foot, as indicated by the foot A, (Fig. 2), and then, exerting pressure on the roll, moves his foot forward, 1. e., to the right, viewing Fig. 2, to the position shown by the foot B. From this position the foot is moved back to the position shown bythe foot A and this foot reciprocation is continued as long as the user desires.

Duringthis reciprocation of the foot pressed in engagement with the roll II, it will be noticed that the eccentric mounting of the roll causes the height of the uppermost point on its lateral surface to constantly vary as the roll rotates. With the foot in the position of the foot A, for example, the height of the uppermost point on the lateral surface of the roll is the least, as indi-.

cated in full lines. when the foot is in the position of the foot B, however, the height of the uppermost point on the lateral surface of the roll is greatest, as indicated in construction lines, the difi'erence between the two heights being the amount of spacing of the aligned Pins II and II from the longitudinal center line of the roll. Stated in another way, when the illustrated 'device is in use, the foot moves forward in contact with a rotating surface that is constantly risping, and moves backward in contact with arotating surface that is constantly receding. The foot rises and falls in its movement as the lateral surface of the roll rises and falls, but it willbe seen that this rising occurs as the heavy bones of the tarsus region of the foot are approached by the roll and that this falling occurs as the smaller bones ,of the metatarsus region are approached. The result of this movement is that the tarsal region of the foot presses harder on the roll than does the metatarsal region, and by reason of this greater pressure, the kneading action is greater at the tarsal region than at the metatarsal region. At the same time the flutes l6 cause the plantar surface of the foot to be kneaded and massaged in the direction of the articulationof the bones of the foot, so that these bones and the associated muscles and tendons are massaged and exercised in the direction in which they normally and chiefly move.

While the present device is designed primarily to knead and massage the longitudinal arch region of the foot, the force of the kneading and massaging increasing as the heavy bones of the foot are approached, the roll I! may also be 1 utilized to treat the phalanges-metatarsal regionmassaged, it maybe caused to overlie chiefly the right hand frusto-conical portion, and so that when no particular locality of the plantar surface of the left foot is to be massaged, it may be I caused to overlie chiefly the left hand frustoconical. portion. n the other hand, when a local area of the plantar surface of the foot should be particularly massaged, that area is placed over the apex C and the foot is then reciprocated as above described. The beneficial results derived from the provision of the apex C are enhanced by the kneading action of .the

flute I6 and by the varying level of the foot engaging surface of the roll. It will be apparent however, that beneficial localized pressure will resultwithout either or both of these last named features. v

The flutes ii are shown spaced to provide fillets l1 between successive pairs, but the flutes It may be so disposed as to provide an arris between successive pairs. The illustrated fillets are preferable, however, because the relatively sharp edges formed by arrises would provide too little surface to engage the foot, and the edges would tend to. become uncomfortable. It should also be pointed out that the longitudinal flutes l8 would perform a beneficial kneading and massaging of the plantar region of the foot even if the roll I! were not eccentrically mounted and if there were no apex C, the reason being that the flutes l6 would still cause a kneading and massaging action in the direction of the articulation-of the bones of the foot. The kneading action of the flutes l6 combined with the rising and falling of the lateral surface of the roll and/or the apex C, however, produce a combined massaging action that is more beneficial. The base 5 and the arms 6 and I shownare merely one illustration of how the roll I! may be mounted, and the advantage of this construction is its simplicity. It will be obvious that other forms of roll supports could be used with equal success.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a foot massaging device, the combination with a support adapted to be maintained stationary upon a floor, of a roll journalled eccentricaliy upon said support for rotative movement under the influence of -the pressure and movementof the users foot. said roll being provided with longitudinalflutes extending from one end of the roll to the other and having fillets therebetween adapted to engage and knead the plantar surface of the foot, and said roll also being weighted between its axis of rotation and its foot engaging surface to facilitate the tendency of the roll, by reason of said eccentricity, to return to a given position in disuse.

2. YA foot massaging device having, in combination, a support for a roll, an extension on at least one side of the support on which a user may stand with one foot to maintain the support stationary on a floor, and a longitudinally fluted roll mounted eccentrically on said support for rotation under the pressure and movement of the user's other foot, said roll being weighted between its axis of rotation and its foot engaging surface to facilitate the tendency of the roll, by reason of said eccentricity, to return to a given position in disuse.

3. A foot massaging device having, in combination, a support for a roll, an extension on at least one side of the support on which a user may stand with one foot to maintain the support stationary on a floor, and a longitudinally fluted roll mounted eccentrically on said support for rotation under the pressure and movement of the user's other foot, the foot engaging surface of said roll comprising surface portions of two truncated cones the larger bases of which merge and said roll being weighted between its axis of rotation and its foot engaging surface to facilitate the tendency of the roll, by reason of said eccentricity, to return to a given position in dis- JAMES A. BROGAN; 

